CLEVELAND — Two Cleveland High School students have been selected to represent their community in Washington, D.C., this summer through a leadership program sponsored by Indian Electric Cooperative.
Oliver Sorenson and Karl Dresback were named winners of IEC’s annual Youth Tour leadership contest. The program, established in 1958 by rural electric cooperatives nationwide, sends high school juniors on an all-expenses-paid trip to the nation’s capital, where they visit historic landmarks, meet with congressional representatives and learn about civic leadership.
Students entered the competition by submitting an energy-related essay and creating a short video explaining how IEC powers their lives. Finalists then completed in-person interviews, and Sorenson and Dresback earned the highest scores from judges.
Two Pawnee students, Cheyenne Chuleewah and Emmie McPeak, were runners-up and received an all-expensespaid trip to a leadership camp in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
IEC officials thanked educators who encourage students to apply each year, including Cleveland teacher Lana Ingalls and Pawnee teacher Erin Brown.
The students will join more than 2,000 youth leaders from across the country during the weeklong Youth Tour, representing Oklahoma’s electric cooperatives and their home communities.